Key quotes on election night after the Ontario PCs’ majority victory

Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are poised to form a third majority government after a $189-million snap winter election that centred on economic security. Here are some quotes:

“This election, we asked the people for a mandate to make Ontario the most competitive place in the G7 to invest, create jobs and do business. The people said yes. We we asked the people for a mandate to unleash the awesome economic potential of the Ring of Fire. The people said yes. We asked the people for a mandate to build up our economy by tearing down internal trade barriers. And the people said yes.”

— Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford

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“The results aren’t everything that we hoped for, but the people of Ontario made their choice. They’ve re-elected the government, hoping it will help protect them from Donald Trump and his tariffs, and they’ve entrusted me and my team to do a different but also very important job. We’ve been tasked again to serve the people of Ontario as their official Opposition. Our job is to hold this government to account and that is the job we are going to do.”

— NDP Leader Marit Stiles

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“People counted us out. They said the Ontario Liberal Party was dead. Tonight, you proved them wrong. The Ontario Liberal Party is back to official party status, and that’s a big milestone. But it gets better: we increased our share of the votes substantially, to 30 per cent. … So this is a building block for us. It is a momentum that we can continue to push forward and to grow.”

— Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie

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“I say to Mr. Ford, congratulations on a majority government. The two Ontario Green MPPs will do our job to hold your government accountable. We will do it as the unofficial official opposition. And I also want to be clear at the same time, we’re ready to work across party lines to put people before politics and deliver for the people of Ontario and the people of our communities.”

— Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner

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“I congratulate Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario on their re-election. At this crucial time, we must work together to defend Canadian interests, protect workers and businesses, and grow our economy. This includes making progress on the top-of-mind priorities of Ontarians and all Canadians — creating good-paying jobs, building more homes, investing in health care and affordable childcare.”

— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.

The Canadian Press